Dyeability and Antimicrobial Properties of Cotton Fabrics Finished with Punica Granatum Extracts

The dry rind of the pomegranate (Punica granatum) has been used as dye stuff since earlier times. In the present study the dye extracts were obtained from the rinds of the P. granatum and used for dyeing the cotton fabrics. The fabrics were assessed for antimicrobial, dyeability and fastness properties. The color strength (K/S) of dyed fabric was assessed through dyeability test. The antibacterial assessment is performed qualitatively by disc diffusion method and parallel streak method (AATCC 147) and quantitatively by percentage reduction test (AATCC 100) against the test organisms Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The fabrics were also assessed for fastness properties such as wash fastness, light fastness and rubbing fastness as per the AATCC standards. The fabrics were finally subjected to wash durability tests. The dyeability results showed that the fabrics dyed with the P. granatum rind extracts have high K/S value when compared with the untreated control fabric. The natural extract dyed fabric has prominent antimicrobial activity which was evidenced by clear zone of bacterial inhibition in qualitative tests and bacterial reduction in quantitative tests whereas the control fabric has no antibacterial activity. Wash durability test showed that the antimicrobial activity of the fabrics was durable up to 10 wash cycles.